Thanks for the info. Things just keep getting better on the LED front.

Can you dim yours with the instrument dimmer? Or are they really bright all the time? To bright?

As for the floorboard lights, they were called courtesy lights and they were an option. There's a plug-in harness for that and a couple of sockets and reflectors.

 

They really don't dim at all. They seem consistantly the same brightness no matter what I have the **** at. They aren't too bright.. Actually, to me they are pretty much exactly the look I was wanting. Seems to provide very even lighting. I just wonder about longevity.

Thanks Gary for the info on the courtesy lights..

 

The reason they don't dim is that the dimmer is actually a variable resistor that has too small of a range for LED's. It was sized for incandescent bulbs which draw much more current, so it doesn't drop enough voltage for there to be a difference with LEDs.

 

The ones I have they dim some on my truck the T10 wedge, but now the Ba9s socket bulbs I installed in my '56 Fairlane, they dim just like incandescent bulbs from full brightness to just barely on to all the way off. The T10 wedge base bulbs I used in my truck they never turn off they just dim slightly and that's it.

I believe if you look youll find some are actually dimmable bulbs but I wasn't looking for that I was just looking for bulk packages to have a lot on hand incase of burn outs.

So far in 2 years since Ive done mine I only had two bulbs act up on me, they didn't go out but they started flickering from time to time.

 

That's me. I really didn't care if they dimmed or not. In all the years of driving I've never dimmed the cluster. I'm just happy I can now see my gauges at night!

 

Actually, that's me as well. At least right now. Next week I start the process of having cataracts removed, and maybe after that I'll think there's too much light, but I doubt it.

 

Here's the pics of the LED's in my truck. I took them with my Iphone at Dusk. There was a little light still outside but it was getting dark. I didn't have any interior lights on so you could see how bright they are. The pics actually show pretty well how it actually looks..



Cluster with the new LED's in. Also removed the blue filter caps from the cluster. Tach is not connected yet..



Headlight and Windshield washer area back-lit with an LED. You can barely see the speedo tripometer in the upper right of the pic.



HVAC controls back-lit by the same LED's used in the cluster. It definitely washes out the colors and causes the red to blend in with the white and blue.



Here's how the LED's look at night. My wife pulled her car right in front of me so my headlights are blaring at it...

Overall, I'm extremely pleased going from almost no light to everything being lit.

 

They do look good. I drove Rusty last night and the instruments look yellow. I want while, and that looks like what I want. Thanks!

But, I might try a red LED for the HVAC to see how it would do on the red filter.

 

Good work Silar. I hadn't thought of just going with white light (I swapped to green) but I have to admit I like the look. Very clean and perhaps even modern.

As for those courtesy floor lamps - hit up a junkyard and you'll probably find a bunch. They're only held on with one screw and each of them only has a single wire (they ground through the case). Couldn't be more simple. You probably already have the plugs as part of the wiring under your dash, so it's an easy and cheap add-on.

 

Thanks Gary! They do look even better in person! I'm tempted to try a red LED or as someone else did, get that red lens tape and us it as a filter for the HVAC controls.

 

It is very clean, and actually easy on the eyes. I was straining to even see the gauges with the original lights.

Unfortunately 80-86 trucks in junkyards around here are pretty hard to find. When I lived in Georgia in the Army, there were pick and pull yards I could go to. Around here, for some reason that never really caught on..

 

Thanks, ordered LED flasher and Brake light bulbs.

 

to all,
My dome light works fine. i want to use the wire up to the dome light to run two additional wires for new LED map lights as i am re-upholstering my headliner.
Has anyone use this wire to run a wire just like it plus two additional wires starting at the dome light to pull through new wires? Is this an easy pull or very problematic?

any help appreciated.

Chris

 

If I recall correctly, and it's been a while, the wire to the dome light is kind of riveted on to the dome light base, or anyway not especially easy to remove. So I'm not sure it will be very helpful if you were thinking of using it to pull other wires.

I added a bunch of wires to my ceiling area but I had the headliner out. In that case it is very easy. If you are "re-upholstering" your headliner I'm guessing you're taking yours out as well, if so, the job will be simple. Just pull the A-pillar trim as well (couple screws) and you have free and open access to everything.

 

This is a very interesting thread. I have a 63 F100 and need to change one bulb that seems to not be lighting the fuel gauge area. If I'm going to change a bulb then going to LEDs would be great. Also have some Sunpro gauges I want to install. So a question, What is the standard bulb so I can buy replacement LEDs anyone?

Thanks in advance.
Paul